gas mileage issues!?

[dday]

I have had my Truck for 6 months - I have taken it to 3 different mechanics and they have all said they don't see a problem. 8 to 10 miles per gallon is a problem. The Truck has a 4-6 inch lift kit. Any helpful advice?:rolleyes:

[Big Nug]

Someone Might Know Some Thing About It, But This Is After All A Vw Forum, But We Always Welcome New People And Try To Help. Just Check Back Often.
Good Luck:d

[sml]

jeez cadwiz... its a German Auto forum, not just VW. Ford is German, right?:rolleyes:

any ways - shes a close friend of mine, i told her to post up the ponder knowing that Jeff would have some phenominal answer. he has an uncanny ability to diagnose a problem from any distance.

anyways, truck has a v6, recently had a tune up.

[Big Nug]

Hey I Could Have Acted Like Most Of The Other Forums And Said Wtf. And All That Other Good Stuff The Bigger Forums Do But I Wanted Them To Feel Welcome.:d

[iadubber]

Bad gas mileage on the Ford 4.0L V6 Engine

If your Ford 4.0 Ranger, Explorer or SportTrac is getting bad gas mileage, (usually around 8-12mpg in the city, down from about 16mpg in the city) it'll most likely be:

a. Clogged air filter. Dump it in the trash and put in a K&N air filter. If you already have a K&N air filter, clean it properly, re-oil it and reinstall it.

b. Replace the spark plugs if it's been over 40K miles since the last time they were replaced.

c. Replace the plug wires if it's been over 80K since they were last replaced.

d. Thermostat stuck in the open position. If the water temp guage never gets up to operating range, suspect the thermostat and replace.

e. Replace the catalytic converter and redo the exhaust system in 2.5" pipe all the way back. You can also upgrade to a performance muffler (Flowmaster is what I use) and it will bump your power up, without hurting gas mileage. (Provided you can keep your foot out of it.)

Of course there are many other reasons, but these are the most likely problems if you don't get a "Check Engine Light" (CEL.) If you get the CEL, most likely it's the O2 (Oxygen) Sensors. There are two, one on each exhaust manifold. They are about $70 each at most auto parts stores and not too hard to replace by yourself. Just have ramps or something to lift the truck in the air so you can get under it to replace them. a

Quick google search returned that, probably not much help. Is it the 3.0 or the 4.0 V6?

[iowaboostin]

Good info ^

My two cents -- start small, don't go spending big $ right away. Replace the air filter with an OEM drop-in ($15) if it needs it.. just visually inspect it to see if it's dirty. Change the spark plugs and make sure the gap is correct, I'll need more engine info from you to get the correct plugs. Plug wires can wait for now, in my opinion, as can the thermostat which would be the last thing I'd check on a gas mileage issue :p How many miles are on the Ford? There's a chance the cat converter or o2 sensor(s) could be bad and is a common problem.

Some overlooked culprits.. make sure you're properly aligned (look for feathering/uneven wear in your tire tread) and make sure your tires are properly inflated. A good Seafoam treatment is another thing you could do.

I never tell people to go to a mechanic to have work done, I always work free of charge, so bring the truck to a GTG of ours and we'll have a look at it :) In fact, I know Adam and some others all have parts they wanna put on their car, we could even make a GTG out've it.

[iadubber]

^could also be stuck injectors, long shot, but maybe.

I've got a 3" Turbo Back to put on :)

[iowaboostin]

I resisted the urge to hijack this thread, almost listed out the stuff I'll be installing on mein Audi :D

But yes, stuck injectors could be it by a longshot.. Seafoam would help that out a bit.

[iadubber]

Are there any CEL? If not, it's hard to diagnose.

[Gee Tea Eye V]

i think i know the problem...


its a ford, buy a TDI gas mileage problem fixed.

ur welcome :laugh:

[sml]

all very good info - thanks guys!